NPSL SEMIFINAL ACTION IN CONNECTICUT

Elm City Express Takes On CD Aguiluchos USA

The semifinal matches of the NPSL Playoffs kick off this weekend as elite teams from across the nation battle for a spot in the championship match. Elm City Express takes on CD Aguiluchos USA, while Detroit City FC hosts Midland-Odessa FC with both matches scheduled for this Saturday.

“From the very beginning, our approach in building the Elm City Express organization has been to keep our heads down and to focus on the work,” said Zack Henry, Elm City Express President, Founder.

“It has only been recently that we’ve picked our heads up to take notice of how far we’ve come in such a short time,” said Henry. “I’m immensely proud of our team and the hard work they have put in, both on and off the field. In addition, one thing that makes our organization different is the robust working relationship we have with our sister club in Brazil, Club Atlético Tubarão.”

“From player exchanges to coaching exchanges to the cross-pollination of innovative ideas between the two clubs — and the two nations — we see a lot of potential for growth,” said Henry.

The Express have earned the right to host this match after earning a 9-1-2 record in the regular season. Postseason wins over Clarkstown SC Eagles, Legacy 76, and TSF FC pushed the team’s overall record to 12-1-2 in 2017.

“We are extremely excited to move on to the NPSL National Semifinals and to represent the Northeast,” said Teddy Haley, Elm City Express head coach. “Our approach will not change at all. We have taken it one game at a time all year, prepare well during the week in our training sessions, stay unified and focused, and hopefully come out and put together a great performance and get the result.”

“Our approach will not change at all,” said Haley. “We have taken it one game at a time all year, prepare well during the week in our training sessions, stay unified and focused, and hopefully come out and put together a great performance and get the result.”

“Everyone involved from top to bottom has bought in and we are truly enjoying the journey. I have talked to the players all year about earning their way to the top and putting themselves in a position to play on the biggest stage available,” said haley. “Congratulations to them as we are now hosting a national semifinal and if we do the job we’ll have a chance to play for a national championship at home in New Haven.”

Tickets are available in advance online here and at the gate (cash only). Pricing is as follows: adults ($10), military ($8), youth ages 6-18 ($5), and kids ages 5 and younger (free).

“It has been a pleasure to be part of this project and I am thrilled for our ownership group, our players, and our community,” said Eric Da Costa, Elm City Express Technical Advisor. “When we started the process of putting a squad together we knew we wanted to build a team that would not only be competitive but also highly successful. As a first-year team, we set the bar high and believed we had the talent to meet those standards.”

“What has transpired since has been the culmination of hard work, commitment, and dedication from everyone involved,” said Da Costa. “It has been a dream start and we are all happy to bring a successful and exciting professional team back to the state of Connecticut.”

Parking for Elm City Express home matches is in the Yale Bowl Lot (located off of Central Avenue), available starting at 4:30 pm ET on matchday. Tailgating is allowed, but charcoal grills are not permitted.

Fans and supporters often gather at area bars and pubs before and after home matches. Those establishments include Anna Liffey’s (New Haven location), Christy’s Irish Pub, The Trinity Bar, Regal Beagle, and New West Cafe.

The second semifinal matchup between Detroit City FC ad Midland-Odessa FC will also be held this Saturday with kickoff scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET at Keyworth Stadium in Michigan.

Chris Rael is a reporter for GoalNation and covers youth and adult soccer.
A multimedia artist whose hobbies include camping, traveling and playing football as much as possible. Chris is based in Rotterdam, Netherlands.